Hardened
by Sheraven
Summary: When two opposite warriors fall just a little too far, water and fire must cancel each other out and bring the warriors back. Warning: Mature themes of suicide, yaoi and violence. Sokka/Zuko
1. Useless

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its affiliates.

**Hardened**

_Chapter One - Useless_

He'd known it since the moment his father left with the war party. Standing in place on the ice and watching him go while trying not to cry had been one of the most difficult things the thirteen year old warrior had ever done. Sokka was grateful he couldn't feel the hot tears sliding over the gray, black, and white dyed penguin blubber painted on his face; it let him believe he was stronger than he felt. As the Southern Water Tribe men disappeared into the mist on their canoes, Sokka felt useless. His father had told him he wasn't old enough to go to war with them, but he knew he hadn't received enough training to be worth anything as a teacher to the remaining male children. He always felt he was floundering, attempting to look like being left behind didn't hurt, and that he actually had something to contribute to the tribe other than just another fisherman.

If it was bad at home, it was worse now. He still felt useless, but even more so because of his traveling companions. While it was probably unfair to compare himself to the Avatar himself, Sokka could not ignore the fact that the twelve year old boy already had more power and wisdom than the Water warrior would ever accrue. Aang carried tremendous skill and abilities as lightly as if everyone had them, sometimes using his airbending without really even trying. When he did try, however, the strength of his blows was unmatched. The last surviving Air Nomad knew he had to master each of the elements, and picked them up so quickly it was sometimes hard to watch.

The other traveler, his sister Katara, had really bloomed in her waterbending abilities since training with Master Pakku. Sokka was shocked at how much natural skill she had as he watched her fight the sour old man. She did at least six or eight new moves that she had never even tried before, and all because she was angry at the man's sexism. Very proud and slightly envious of Katara's power, he immediately sought out a warrior from which he could learn while at the Northern Water Tribe. Unfortunately, his training was cut short when the first black snow fell preceding the Fire Navy ships.

He remembered it exactly; he was on Appa's shoulders with the most beautiful, interesting, perfect girl he knew he would ever meet. Yue's radiant blue eyes, lithe and toned body, smooth dark skin against silky white hair, and delicate features had entranced Sokka from the very first moment he saw her. The fact that she was the daughter of the Chief actually had very little to do with how he felt. She made him laugh, and more incredibly, laughed at his jokes, too. Whenever he was with her, he never felt awkward or useless, as if he always knew the right thing to say and do.

When he was pulled from the mission to assassinate General Zhao to guard the Princess, Sokka couldn't have been more content. Not only was he finally needed and being trusted as a warrior, but he was also required to be near the only woman who had ever turned his thoughts so completely. So as the world lost all color with the death of Tui, the Moon Spirit, Sokka was practically glued to Yue's side. As soon as the old firebender Iroh asked if she'd been touched by the spirit's energy, the path had been laid. In a world suddenly black and white, Yue's eyes still shone brilliant blue, the last bit of the Moon Spirit's energy. Sokka begged Yue not to do the one thing even he knew she was meant for, but as she had told him before, she had no choice.

The Water warrior's heart seized as he watched the Princess lay her hands gently on the still white koi fish. Even from behind, Sokka could see the life force flowing out of his beloved and into Tui's earthly form. When Yue let out a quiet moan and fell, his heart broke. By the time he caught her lifeless form, he knew it was already too late. "She's gone!" he had cried out in shock, then held her tightly to him as her slight weight settled toward the earth. "She's gone," was all he could force past the overwhelming grief, and felt as if he could kneel beside the holy pond and cling to her forever.

He was robbed of even that, though, as her physical body faded into the spirit world. His empty arms felt cold and once again, useless. The white koi moved and Iroh placed it back in the water, causing the most wondrous vision of beauty to appear before them all. Yue's ethereal light cast a soft glow on Aang, Katara, Iroh, and Sokka's faces, making even the harsh armor of the fallen Fire Nation soldiers that Iroh had dispatched seem muted. She was so lovely Sokka wanted to cry.

She turned to him alone, saying, "I'll always be with you," and touched his face with her otherworldly fingertips. The sensation was warm and loving, conveying more than any words could in the living world. Yue had felt exactly toward him as he had toward her. It was a strange sensation, his heart leaping for joy and breaking in despair at the same time. She moved close and kissed him tenderly, passionately saying goodbye. A bittersweet moment to tell him that she was sad they would never see one another again, but privileged to have had even that brief time together. A wave of echoed emotion washed over Sokka and then she was gone. The warrior could do nothing but close his eyes in anguish, bowing his head to the unchangeable fact that he would never see her again.

Remembering that day was difficult for Sokka, and even sitting alone in the tent waiting for Katara and Aang to return from waterbending practice did not make the pain any less. He stared down at his bladed boomerang, which he had just finished sharpening. It was a mindless task, one he had to perform often to maintain the weapon's strength and effectiveness. Every warrior everywhere understood the maintenance their tools required, and often performed it lovingly. As faithful as his boomerang had been, he felt nothing for it. In fact, he was mildly surprised to learn, he didn't feel anything for anything.

Of course he wanted his sister and the Avatar to be safe from harm, but he was quite aware he had little to do with that. He was the only one he knew who was not a bender. Even that sniveling, self-righteous Prince Zuko could bend fire, leaving the magic-less, untrained warrior to be basically a map reader. Oh, and he often hunted their dinners. Sokka snorted in disgust at how he was even more useless than in the Southern Water Tribe. At least there, the boys and women looked to him as the eldest male in the village. Here, he was nothing. And he was alone. Slipping the razor-sharp boomerang resolutely back into its sheath, Sokka pulled out his war paints.

The sun had just slipped below the horizon when Aang and Katara finally decided to stop practicing. Both were wet and exhausted, barely able to trudge back to the small camp. As soon as it came into view, the female waterbender knew something was wrong. She saw that the tarp was pulled taughtly over the tent, a small fire was burning, and everything was in tidy order. She burst into the tent to find a small pile of fruits, nuts, and roots waiting, with all the clothing and furs folded neatly. "Aang!" she shouted. The young monk ran into the tent at the concern in her voice.

Katara was holding something. It was a white strip of silk with a small circle of jade hanging from the middle. Carved upon the turquoise stone was a stylized wave surrounding a boomerang. Along with it was a Southern Water Tribe's warrior's necklace made of the white shells of ice crabs. She held the unused betrothal necklace up along with the shell choker for Aang to see. She flashed a worried look and darted out of the tent. "Where's Sokka?" she asked as she peered into the surrounding brush.

The airbender called for his mount, "Appa!" and when the giant beast was beside him, closed his eyes briefly. He breathed in and sent out a wave of wind, blowing it right back in Appa's face. He moved the wind to all of the surrounding area, and when Appa finally caught Sokka's scent, he rumbled. The two jumped onto the flying bison and headed in that direction. Aang sniffed the wind and leaned forward on the giant head, "Uh oh, Katara, we'd better hurry."

She was already worried, but had to know, "Why?"

The Avatar's response was firm, "I smell blood."


	2. Discovery

**Hardened**

_Chapter Two – Discovery_

If he had to see his uncle for one more second without at least full armor on, he would consider burning his own eyes out. Maybe it was an age thing, he thought, trying to explain Iroh's propensity to strip off everything and leap into every single pond of fresh water they happened across. More likely though, it was just the somewhat eccentric personality of the Dragon of the West. Zuko shuddered as he walked away from the small spring through the forest of young tube trees, constantly weaving through their slender trunks and spindly branches. He wanted to bathe as well, but merely needed a few minutes alone after so much time on the ship with Iroh.

The sun had just set on the warm summer evening, and the Prince of the Fire Nation was looking forward to getting out of his high-collared uniform. The same way it was made of heavy fabric to protect its wearer from mild fire, it also kept heat in, making it miserable to wear in the hot season. He figured there had to be another spring in the area, based on the flourishing vegetation, so he began to tug the band off his queue in anticipation. Before his hair could fall free though, a young man's cry split the dusk, freezing the Zuko in his tracks. It was filled with pain and despair, and oddly, the firebender thought he recognized the voice.

Cautiously and quickly, the master martial artist moved through the forest toward the sound. After only a few seconds, he emerged into a clearing with the spring he'd been searching for. The full moon's light was taking over for the slumbering sun, casting a feathery glow on everything beneath her. Zuko's mouth dropped open in shock when he saw a teenager dressed in blue laying unnaturally still on his back. His head was turned away, but the hair was pulled back into a warrior's wolf tail, instantly confirming the Prince's suspicions. As he approached, he saw the shining boomerang stuck into the grass as if it had been dropped.

Now standing over the boy who traveled with the Avatar, Zuko saw that his face was covered in full war paint. The black eyes in contrast to the gray cheeks and white jaw seemed strangely appropriate. He wore his armor as well, complete with glacier fox tails hanging off his shoulders and black two-fingered gloves. His customary white necklace was gone though, replaced by a clean red line. The cut went from one side of his neck to the other, spilling a torrent of blood down his chest and onto the ground. The dark puddle was rapidly expanding under his shoulders, soaking into the firebender's pants as he knelt beside the water tribe boy.

Zuko's golden eyes narrowed as he contemplated his options. It was clear by the practiced cut and position of the dropped weapon that the wound was self-inflicted, so perhaps he should just leave him to his own fate. On the other hand, it was a rare gift from the cosmos to get such a lucky find. He had never seen the Avatar anywhere without the boy, so if the Prince kept him, Aang would eventually come looking for him. The Water warrior was just the edge Zuko had been hoping for, a direct line to drawing the Avatar right in.

Moving decisively, the Prince closed his eyes and breathed deeply, sitting down on his feet. From two fingers held together, he produced a short, bright flame as thin as a thread. He cupped his other hand on the back of the warrior's dark neck to steady himself and carefully traced the bleeding line with his fingers. Zuko did not flinch at the smell of burning flesh as the flame cauterized the cut, and as soon as he was finished, breathed again. He inspected his work to make sure he had not missed any bleeding, leaning in close. When he was satisfied his prize would not slip out of his hands by dying, brought the palms of his hands together to center himself.

He inhaled and placed his hands over the southern boy's chakra centers, heart and stomach. In the back of his mind, Zuko was silently grateful his uncle had drilled the importance of these areas into him so repetitively, for he now knew them instinctually. The body was cool under his touch, losing the battle with death since the mind had lost the will to fight. The Prince knew that if the boy cooled down too much, his organs would stop functioning and what remained of his blood would stop moving altogether. The firebender exhaled slowly, sending his core heat into the other body.

The energy traveled down his fingertips and into the dimmed chakra paths, lighting them up with transferred heat and life. Zuko breathed again to keep his own rebelling body under control and continued. One of the hardest things to learn about fire healing was that the body would panic when its life force started draining. His brow furrowed with effort to control the automatic responses; he tried to keep his heart rate normal, temperature down, and mind still as he passed some of himself into the dark-skinned enemy. He was starting to think he would not be able to bring the boy back from death's door when the warrior moaned in pain and moved slightly. Zuko made a noise as he fell beside him, severing the contact and panting with exertion.

As Zuko tried to regain his balance, he looked at the boy carefully. He was much bigger than the Prince remembered, taller and more muscular. Perhaps it was because the first time he saw the warrior, it was almost a year ago. Like Zuko, he was at the right age to be filling into his adult body, and being constantly on the move had left its mark. His skin was clear but rough, undoubtedly from countless days in the sun and wind on the back of the sky bison. Even through the armor, the Fire Prince could see dense musculature forming, and the fact that the boomerang had no blood on its edge was testimony to the swift and precise slice he had used. The firebender realized he'd better watch this one more closely than he'd originally thought.

The Prince sat up after a moment and wiped the sudden sweat from his eyes, peering down the water tribesman. He opened his blue eyes briefly, staring at his savior momentarily before his lids fluttered shut and he succumbed to unconsciousness. The Fire Prince was pleased with himself; not only had he come upon one of the luckiest finds in recent history, but he had saved another human being from the afterlife itself with his own two hands. Gathering his strength, Zuko hauled the Water warrior up over his shoulders, heading back through the forest toward his docked Fire Navy ship. How he was going to explain this to Uncle Iroh he did not know, but somehow he thought the old man would understand.

Only a few minutes later, a giant furry form passed through the sky overhead, darkening the moonlit clearing in shadow. Appa landed near the water with a worried rumble, barely beating Aang and Katara to the ground. The waterbender spotted a glint of polished metal and ran to it. Before she could reach the boomerang, she slipped in the cool puddle of blood, landing hard on her side. Her blue eyes opened wide in shock when she looked at the slick liquid on her palms, realizing with dread what it was. "By the moon…no, Sokka." she whispered.

She looked over at the untouched boomerang stuck in the ground and tears welled up. It was still shining from its last sharpening, which meant her big brother hadn't even had the chance to fight back. "Aang, he's not…" she couldn't bring herself to say the word, "…is he?" She bowed her head as hot tears began to fall.

He stood behind her and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. Upon contact, her pain immediately radiated through his tattoos, a minor disadvantage to being the Avatar. The twelve year old monk fought back his own tears and tried to think about the situation logically. He sniffed, "I don't think so. His body's not here, I'm sure he's alive." Momo landed next to Katara and laid his head on her leg in an effort to comfort the waterbender. Aang looked up at the moon quietly, silently asking Yue to watch over Sokka until they could find him.


	3. Awake

**Hardened**

_Chapter Three - Awake_

Sokka had finally done it; he was going to be with Yue. Almost lighter than air, he reached for the enormous moon. It felt as if he was even moving toward it through the warm night air. After all the longing and loneliness, he was at last going to pull her into his embrace and stay with her forever. He was sure he could see her smiling and reaching out to him from the bright lunar orb, but for some reason, his movement had slowed down. Before he could even call out to her, he was pulled sharply away from the moon, falling toward the ground at a terrifying speed.

The warrior awoke with a yelp and bolted upright. He was sweating and his heart was racing, momentary confusion stemming from the abrupt change of one world to another. Sokka took a deep breath to calm himself out of sheer habit, then realized that he was still breathing. He was still alive. Not only was he a failure at everything else, but he was unable to even remove himself as a burden from the world. Bitter disappointment and self-loathing washed through the water tribesman, and it took all his effort to lift his head and look at his surroundings. He was only half surprised when his royal blue eyes swept over a stark metal room.

He was inside a metal box with a door. There was a small window with bars over it, and the heavy smell of soot in the air. From years of practice, his warrior senses reached out, tuning to the slight vibration coming from below. There was also a very quiet hum and the distinct sound of footsteps on metal. It didn't take Sokka long to realize he was on a Fire Navy ship. Now anger mixed in with his emotions. Instead of removing himself as an obstacle from Aang and Katara's paths, he had delivered himself to the enemy. Sokka would do the same thing if he were in Fire Lord Ozai's place, so he understood. The Water warrior was going to be used as bait to draw the Avatar out.

Sokka could hardly stand himself, and closed his eyes, bowing his head in despair and shame. He didn't know it was possible to be a complete failure, since usually a person had at least one redeeming skill or characteristic. He had none. The Fire Nation was so unconcerned with him escaping, in fact, that they had not even removed his armor, just wiped off the war paint. He was not an asset or a threat, he just had no purpose at all. Searing tears fell silently from the warrior, who sat motionless on the bare floor.

Sokka sat like that until he could cry no more. He felt empty, drained, like the dried husk of a plant that had been blowing in the wind. He didn't even have the energy to move, so stayed sitting, staring at the metal floor. He didn't know how long he was like that before footsteps approached his door. He simply watched as a small slit at the bottom was opened and bowl was pushed inside. There was rice and a little meat, hot enough to steam. A small cup of water was shoved in next, then the slit was closed. At a loss for anything else to do, Sokka reached for the food even though he wasn't hungry.

Eating didn't make him feel any less empty, but it did give his warrior intellect the fuel to start planning. Even though Sokka didn't think it true, he was one of the most inventive and forward-thinking warriors the Southern Water Tribe had ever produced. He had a propensity for solving problems, and often used methods and tools no one else ever considered. Before he had eaten all the food, he had a plan to get out. After putting the empty bowl back near the door, he followed his plan almost mindlessly, knowing he had to escape the Fire Nation for Aang's sake, but for no other reason.

Sokka was fortunate the Fire Nation had not changed his clothes, for there were useful items hidden everywhere in his armor. Some by tradition, and some by necessity. The dark-skinned teen removed a tiny whale tooth dagger and scooched into the far corner of the cell with his back to the door. He dumped about half the water onto the floor and began scraping at the oxidation quietly, creating a red slurry. Slowly adding water, he scratched until he had gathered a satisfactory amount of the red liquid.

Next, using his blue clothing as a sponge, Sokka put the water back in the cup, being sure to smear the red strategically over his chest. Once again beside the door, he waited until he heard footsteps returning to retrieve the eating utensils. He tipped the cup so the liquid spilled under the door and laid just within view of the window. He had exchanged the tiny knife for a equally small pouch of knock-out powder, just enough for one person.

As the guard walked down the hall, he had fresh in his mind a warning from Prince Zuko. This particular prisoner was to be kept separate from all the others, and in good health. When he delivered the food, he had been surprised to find a member of the Water Tribe, but did not know his significance beyond that. Perhaps he was captured during the siege of the North Pole and had some kind of information. So, when he rounded the corner and saw blood coming from under the door, he knew that if he didn't fix the situation quickly, Zuko would have his head, possibly literally.

It was hard to get the key into the door, his hands were shaking so much from fear. He glanced inside and saw the boy laying on his back with a nasty wound to the chest, barely breathing. The guard finally got the key to turn and whipped the door open, expecting another assailant inside the cell. The information the boy had must be valuable indeed if an assassin had been sent to silence him. What the guard found instead was the Water warrior himself, rolling to his feet and throwing something in his face. A powder exploded when the delicate sack broke, and before he could say anything, his world turned black and he was falling into the arms of the prisoner.

Sokka caught the heavily armored guard as quietly as he could and dragged the man inside the cell, closing the door. The powder only lasted about an hour, so he had to move quickly. Not bothering to strip off his own clothes first, the Water tribesman began putting on the much larger garments of the guard, moving efficiently but dispassionately. After a few minutes, Sokka stepped out of the cell and locked the door. He had left the unconscious Fire Navy soldier in the corner near the door, so it would be difficult to see him from the outside.

As Sokka walked toward the deck of the ship, he passed several other soldiers, all wearing the customary white faceplate. The dark-skinned southerner was grateful the Fire Nation was so cruel to keep it's fighting men faceless and unrecognized, it gave him the anonymity he needed to get to the surface. Even as he was walking with sure, even steps, he felt nothing, the same as before. He had to remove himself as another delay in the Avatar's journey, take away the bargaining chip for the Fire Nation.

Once the warrior got to the top deck, he saw that the ship was just minutes from docking. A flash of warmth moved through Sokka's broken heart as Yue gave him such luck. He had figured he'd have to jump overboard and swim to the shore, hoping they weren't too far from land. Instead, he would be able to walk off like everyone else. He started toward the side of the ship when a barked command halted his movement. It was the last voice on earth Sokka wanted to hear.

"You! Stop! What are you doing up here?" Sokka came to attention and faced the master of the ship, Prince Zuko. The firebender stormed over to his position, ready to give the errant soldier a piece of his mind when he stopped dead in his tracks. He was not looking into golden eyes as he'd expected, but brilliant blue instead. "Wha-?" he stuttered as he yanked the faceplate off. How had the boy escaped?

Free of the restrictive mask, Sokka looked right at Zuko for a moment before bolting for the edge. The other boy could not catch him and he leaped over the side, about a ship's length from the dock. As soon as he hit the water, the warrior slipped out of the sinking fire armor and swam toward the pier. He heard a body hit the surface behind him and knew he only had a few seconds to gain on the Prince. His natural skill from growing up in an ocean environment served him well and he moved quickly toward the shore and climbed out.

Zuko was shocked at how fast his enemy could swim, and equally dismayed to see Sokka crawling up onto the shore before he, himself had gone halfway. The firebender held one hand above the water and summoned a fireball, throwing it at the other boy's legs. The warrior fell as the fire caught him, giving Zuko just enough time to catch up. Sokka stood up and started to run, ignoring the pain of the burns on his calves, with Zuko right on his heels. The Fire Prince leaped and plowed into Sokka's back, sending them both tumbling. He had him.


	4. Chained

**Hardened**

_Chapter Four - Chained_

"No! Let go!" Sokka cried as they tumbled over the rough ground. It was the first time he'd spoken since he'd left camp, and his voice was husky from the injury. Zuko's armored weight was on top of him, and Sokka found the firebender surprisingly agile in the heavy leathers. The Water tribesman rolled suddenly, flipping himself onto his back, digging in the folds of his blue armor. He found what he was looking for and then bucked his hips upward, throwing his enemy toward his head. Zuko tossed his hands out to keep from falling on his face, then found himself teetering to one side as Sokka knocked him over.

Once the Fire Prince was on the ground, Sokka sprang up and tried to sprint away. His enemy's reflexes were too fast, however, and before he could take two steps, he was on his face again, his ankle trapped. Zuko climbed Sokka's leg hand-over-hand, pulling the two of them closer together. He didn't dare let the warrior out of his grasp, he had just learned the hard way that Sokka was much more skilled then he let on. The Water warrior tried to squirm out from underneath, gritting his teeth as his fresh burns were scraped, and shouted, "Get off me!"

As Zuko climbed past Sokka's waist, the water warrior let fly with his right fist, cracking the Prince in the jaw, hard. Zuko's head was ringing, but he had enough forethought to see the next punch coming, and ignited the palm with which he caught the blow. Fire enclosed Sokka's left hand, burning the calloused knuckles and momentarily distracting him. He yelped and involuntarily tried to jerk his hand away from the fire, unwittingly letting Zuko get the upper hand. In a matter of seconds, Sokka was on his knees and Zuko was standing over him, both hands alight.

The Fire Prince watched his captive closely as several soldiers surrounded them. It was strange, as if the fight had suddenly left him. The dark-skinned warrior was kneeling limply, cradling his burned hand in his lap, with his head bowed. As pleased as he was that he had won, something was wrong. It was as if the Water tribe boy had ceased to care what happened to him. Zuko knew from growing up with warlords that any prisoner who did not want to live, usually didn't. He had seen it scores of times before, a captive without will often died quietly in his cell.

Unwilling to lose his prize, Zuko turned on the guards, who stiffened in surprise at being directly addressed. "Leave us, I can handle him on my own." He felt something drip from his cheek, and swiped at the sweat with the back of his hand. His guards were not moving. "Well?" he demanded angrily.

The leader looked nervously at the soldier next to him then asked, "But…what about your face, my lord?"

"What?" the Prince barked and looked down at the hand he had just used to wipe his cheek. Instead of the sweat he was expecting, he found a smear of blood. He touched his face again, inwardly flinching when his fingers brushed over the cut. He glared down at the kneeling warrior and noticed a small, carved bone piece that Sokka held in his palm, causing a sharp spur to protrude between his fingers. The firebender growled and snapped at the men, "I _said_ I can handle him, leave, now."

The men bowed and jogged off, not eager to arouse their master's anger. Without another word, Zuko leaned forward and drove his flaming fist down hard across the darker boy's face. Sokka dropped into unconsciousness immediately, a small trickle of blood starting from the burn mark across his cheek. Zuko gave a frustrated snort as he stood, once again heaving the water tribesman over his shoulder and walking toward the shore. This time, he would not underestimate his enemy.

When Sokka awoke, the first thing he noticed was the ringing in his head. The left side of his face hurt and he could feel his cheek throbbing with his heartbeat. He tried to sit up and started at the piercing sound of metal chains echoing in the metal chamber. Four plain walls, a door, and a porthole barely big enough for him to squeeze through were all that decorated the room. Another wave of anger washed through him as his eyes tried to adjust to the torchlight, he had been captured again. He was in a standing position, but most of his weight was resting not on his feet, but on the metal shackles holding his wrists above his head. He tried to move and sucked air in through his teeth sharply as the pain radiated down from his wrists and burned hand.

Before he had a chance to do anything else, the door across the room opened, admitting the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Zuko walked in proudly, wearing his gleaming commander's armor, and clenching his hands into fists. He strolled past the guard, who immediately closed and locked the door behind him. As he got closer, he glared suspiciously at Sokka, who had become suddenly aware that he was only wearing his black leggings, and nothing else. The firebender stopped in front of the warrior and stared him in the eyes. Sokka did not look away.

Zuko looked at his prisoner, trying to find out what was out of place. They had learned their lesson last time, all of the water peasant's armor had been removed, and what he had on thoroughly searched. Although the dark-skinned boy stood tall and defiant, something was wasn't right with his eyes. They were empty and dead, as if he was just biding his time and didn't care what happened next. The Prince knew that would never do; he had seen enough interrogations to know that if the prisoner was not afraid, no amount of questioning would gain anything.

Speaking in a clear and firm voice, Zuko demanded, "Where is the Avatar hiding?"

Instead of the smart-mouth comment he was expecting, the southerner simply looked at him and said without emotion, "You know that's a waste of time."

In anger, Zuko hit Sokka in the face again, in the exact same place as before. Sokka hissed as the new injury joined the old one, but stood straight. "Where?" the firebender asked.

A look of wistfulness, as if he were looking at the sun for the last time, passed over the warrior's face. One corner of his lips moved upward, a smile as if he were saying goodbye to something he loved dearly, and he watched Zuko's golden eyes as he spoke quietly, "I will not fail again."

Something was definitely wrong with the water tribesman. Zuko tried a different track, "What is your name?"

Seeing no harm in telling him, the warrior answered almost conversationally, "Sokka."

"You know I'm going to capture the Avatar. If you tell me where he is, I promise to let the water tribe girl he's with go unharmed." Zuko expected a reaction, some kind of spark in those blue eyes, anything, at the mention of the female, but Sokka simply kept looking at him. It was beginning to get on his nerves. "Well?" The other boy still did nothing. Zuko's temper was beginning to rise and he allowed his hand to ignite. In anger, he placed the burning palm on the dark, bare chest before him.

Sokka cried out in pain and turned his head, gritting his teeth until Zuko lifted his hand. When he looked back at the prince, his blue eyes held only emptiness and pain. Much more pain than the firebender had inflicted, and enough to push out everything else. "Tell me!" Zuko shouted, and sent a rope of fire over his prisoner's shoulder.

Sokka inhaled as the flames bit his skin, but only closed his eyes, half grateful to be feeling anything other than the hurt from Yue's death. Maybe if he could anger Zuko enough, the Prince would end his time on earth, letting him finally rest in his love's arms. Sokka laughed out loud, and said, "Heh, no wonder you wanted us locked in. I'd be embarrassed in front of my guards too."

"What?" Zuko cried, anger contorting his features. He drove his flaming fist into Sokka's ribs, feeling something crack. He was shocked when the water peasant began to laugh again, so hit him even harder, sending fire around his back to burn the dark skin. As Sokka broke into a sweat, he reveled in the pain, even though it took his breath away. He would soon be free, free to let Aang and Katara put the world back in balance, and free to wander the skies with Yue. He laughed again, but it was cut short when Zuko hit him in the face.

Sokka looked up, panting, and momentarily considered begging. As soon as the warrior's blue eyes met his own gold, Zuko was filled with a strange combination of pity and anger. Sokka was silently pleading for him to end it, to take his victory and let him go. Zuko frowned, the Avatar would never come for a dead friend, and certainly would not try to rescue someone who didn't want to be saved. He had to reignite Sokka's spark of life for him to be of any use as bait.

Isolation had not worked, questioning was useless, and pain was having the opposite effect. What could he do? He turned his back for a moment to think, and when he looked back, Sokka had dropped his head. Zuko was surprised to see a single tear fall. The firebender reached out suddenly and lifted the darker face to his own, stepping so close they were almost touching. He stared into those empty blue eyes, trying to will his own life force into the other boy as he had during the healing.

Wishing he could be consumed by the burning gaze, Sokka was filled with a strange feeling. It was as if something inside him had cracked, and white hot fury was leaking out. Surprising even himself, Sokka unexpectedly leaned forward and smashed his lips onto Zuko's in a harsh kiss. The fire prince was so shocked he didn't do anything at first. The warrior was so full of despair and hunger and desperation and _need_ that Zuko found himself responding. He pushed back in the kiss until the embrace became almost angry. Zuko reached up and jerked on the wolf tail, exposing the smooth, dark throat.

Sokka gasped when he felt Zuko's searing lips trace a reckless line from his jaw to his collarbone. Tears shimmered in his eyes as he questioned himself on what he was doing and who he was doing it with. He was ashamed, but he realized he needed to feel something, _anything_, other than pain. To know he was alive, and that it was worth it to remain that way. He silently begged for forgiveness from the moon spirit as he moaned when Zuko's tongue passed over the newly burned flesh on his chest.

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_Chapter Five - Burning_


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